The demand for increased storage capacity in memory or rigid disks and the trend towards miniaturization of memory or rigid disks (e.g., due to the requirement for smaller hard drives in computer equipment) continues to emphasize the importance of the memory or rigid disk manufacturing process, including the planarization or polishing of such disks for ensuring maximal performance. While there exist several chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) compositions and methods for use in conjunction with semiconductor device manufacture, few conventional CMP methods or commercially available CMP compositions are well-suited for the planarization or polishing of memory or rigid disks.
As the demand for increased storage capacity has increased, so has the need for improved processes for the polishing of such memory or rigid disks. The term “memory or rigid disk” refers to any magnetic disk, hard disk, rigid disk, or memory disk for retaining information in electromagnetic form. The memory or rigid disk typically has a surface that comprises nickel-phosphorous (NiP), but the memory or rigid disk surface can comprise any other suitable material. The planarity of the memory or rigid disks must be improved, as the distance between the recording head of a disk drive and the surface of the memory or rigid disk has decreased with improvements in recording density that demand a lower flying height of the magnetic head with respect to the memory or rigid disk. In order to permit a lower flying height of the magnetic head, improvements to the surface finish of the memory or rigid disk are required.
Conventional CMP compositions and methods for NiP hard disks and other substrates could be improved because, as removal rate is increased, there is often a concomitant deterioration of other polishing performance, e.g., surface roughness, defectivity, and the like. Furthermore, conventional CMP compositions and methods can be inefficient and require significant cycle time and labor intensity. There is a need for a polishing composition and method that addresses these concerns.